TheDoc |
08-17-2004 03:38 PM |
Jet Li:
School: (1971) Beijing Sports and Exercise
Awards:
(1974) Youth National Athletic Competition: Gold
(1975) 3rd National Games: Gold
(1977) National Martial Arts Competition: Gold
(1978) National Martial Arts Competition: Gold
(1979) 4th National Games: Gold
(1974 - 79) Internaional Guest Performer for Beijing Martial Arts team.
It was 1971 and the academic year was at an end, however the summer meant compulsory sports school for Lian-Jie and other schools in the Beijing district. It was now Lian-Jie was to begin a lifelong relationship with the martial art Wushu. To which the young boy remarked,
?Oh. What is martial arts? I don?t know. Tell me and I?ll learn?. Wushu turned out to be the military style kung fu martial art which combined theatrical grace and choreography with speed and agility.
For a novice Lian-Jie?s introduction to Wushu was a successful one. Having been selected for further training as well as normal schooling. The rapid riser fought in his first competition aged nine. With the award for excellence under his belt, Lian-Jie was now in increased daily training in preparation to represent his country.
The Pan Asian African Latin American Table Tennis Championship was the occasion for which Lian-Jie and his Wushu group would perform a pre games showcase. The pressure was intense.
?Practice was impossibly tiring, our motherland was expecting us to give a performance that was nothing less than perfect. We rehearsed the forms and routines countless times?. Even as a youngster Lian-Jie was aware of this vast responsibility. Needless to say he did not disappoint and the rewards were great, bestowed with the honour of meeting the Prime Minister Zhou En-lai, not to mention full time enrolement into the Beijing Sports and Exercise School.
Lian-Jie was expected to attend the exercise school six days a week, returning home on Sundays. His time at the school was set into strict guidelines. The daily routine began with a loud bell at 6 am, where pupils had to present themselves outside promptly. Following an hours training, washing and breakfast led into a long session until midday. Rest followed, however this was punctuated with display performances for visiting tourists who were announced via loudspeaker. Following more training, dinner, extra practice was warranted at 7 30 pm until 10 30 pm. This routine was to become the mainstay of Lian-Jie?s life for the next three years.
Before long, Lian-Jie was excelling at this admittedly punishing regime. His success was now being nurtured by trainer and coach Wu Bin, a former graduate of Beijing Sports University Wushu Department in 1963.
This man was to become instrumental in developing the lightening fast accuracy we associate with Li. Not only did Wu Bin pass on his own philosophy, but academic teachings. Representing a father figure to Lian-Jie he instilled education, integrity and confidence. Li recalls how he influenced his youth.
?He helped me steer clear of all obstacles and encouraged me never to give up. His admonitions and his patience in guiding me along will always remain in my heart of hearts?.
Wu Bin?s treatment although fair was still harsh. The coach being fully aware of how far to push Lian-Jie. The genuine care and high regard they held for each other went far beyond a typical teacher-pupil relationship. He often provided food packages to the struggling family after discovering an absence of meat in the diet was causing Lian-Jie to underperform his kicks and strikes.
Under Wu Bin?s tutillage Lian-Jie became accomplished at integrating kicking, punching, swordplay and agility into different Kung Fu styles. In addition to manipulating inner energy, chi he developed skills in monkey, dragon, crane and gun boxing.
For the first time in his life Lian-Jie learned to rationalise and philosophise about his unfortunate start in life. Now, Li tells of his early dissent,
?I felt that society wasn?t fair to me ? that I had been dealt a bad hand. In comparing my circumstances with others, I brought a lot of unhappiness upon myself which in turn caused many emotional ups and downs?.
He learned to master these issues with a new sense of perception. Three years passed to see Lian-Jie become a true artisan in his field.
In 1974 he was considered of sufficient talent to allow him entry to the Youth National Athletic Competition. With eighteen the upper age limit, the eleven year old won the highest accolades. Excelling at all that Wu Bin had taught him, including swordsmanship, boxing and spearplay etc.
Having now excited media attention, Lian-Jie was invited to be part of a Wushu group to partake in a goodwill tour of the USA. After taking in NYC and San Francisco the group found themselves performing on the White House lawn for President Richard Nixon. Following a magnificent two man display, a suitably impressed President Nixon approached Lian-Jie
?How would you like to be my bodyguard when you grow up??. To this he replied,
?Nope. I don?t want to protect one person. When I grow up I want to protect billions of Chinese people?.
Of course this made world news and made Lian-Jie a national celebrity with his pleasing show of patriotism.
With an abundantly growing physical skill, Lian-Jie accumulated competition wins. In 1975 China staged its 3rd National Games, which placed the spotlight upon Lian-Jie?s upcoming performance. At age twelve he won first place in all five events.
1977 saw Lian-Jie win his second gold medal at China?s National Martial Arts Competition. He replicated the performance in 1978, adding another gold medal to his trophy cabinet. In 1979 he was again a winner of the Chinese Olympic games, the 4th National Games.
1979 was to prove to be a year of change for Lian-Jie, as an opportunity came his way to live up to his film idol, Bruce Lee.
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